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The Rugby Championship is back this weekend, and things are already getting interesting. South Africa is hosting Australia in Cape Town, and honestly, after that surprise loss to the Wallabies in Johannesburg, the Springboks are probably feeling the pressure. Coach Rassie Erasmus has made some big changes to the lineup, bringing in RG Snyman and Ruan Nortje to start in the second row.
Meanwhile, New Zealand is heading to Buenos Aires to face Argentina again. The All Blacks looked strong in their first match, but they’ve got some injury troubles now. Patrick Tuipulotu and Anton Lienert-Brown are both out, which means Scott Robertson has to test some new combinations. Wallace Sititi and Tamaiti Williams are getting their shot, and it’ll be interesting to see how they handle the Pumas’ intensity.
Argentina will be fired up after that loss in Córdoba, and you know they’ll come out swinging. Pasilio Tosi mentioned that New Zealand needs to sharpen up their attack, and he’s not wrong. This weekend should tell us a lot about where these teams are really at.
The Rugby Championship is back this weekend. Australia and New Zealand both start Round 2 on Saturday, August 23. The Wallabies are playing the Springboks in Cape Town, and the All Blacks take on the Pumas in Buenos Aires. Both New Zealand and South Africa will be looking to bounce back after tough results last week.
South Africa’s coaches noticed they lost five lineouts in their first match, so they’ve been working on fixing their set pieces. Australia is feeling good after a big win, but they know the Springboks will come out strong. No new injuries for the Wallabies so far.
Over in the All Blacks camp, Patrick Tuipulotu is out for about six weeks, which means he’ll miss the rest of the tournament. Anton Lienert-Brown is also heading home after not passing his return-to-play protocols following a head knock. And for Australia, winger Jordan Pietsch broke his jaw in the first test. They’re still figuring out what that means for him going forward.
Rugby Canada has announced a 28-man squad for their upcoming Pacific Nations Cup match against the USA on August 22. It's good to see captain Tyler Ardron and veteran prop Evan Olmstead back with the team for the first time since 2021. The game in Calgary will also serve as a World Cup qualifier, and later in the month they’ll be heading to Japan to play on August 30. So far, there haven’t been any major disciplinary issues to worry about.
Over in Australia’s National Rugby League, Round 25 is coming up, and there’s plenty of team news and player movements to keep an eye on.
The footy’s back this week, with Round 25 kicking off on Thursday, August 21. South Sydney and the Dragons get things started, then Penrith takes on Canberra and Melbourne faces the Bulldogs on Friday.
Saturday’s got a few good ones—Manly and the Dolphins, Titans against the Warriors, and Parra hosting the Roosters. Sunday wraps it all up with Newcastle playing Brisbane, and the Tigers up against North Queensland. It should be a solid weekend of games.
There’s been a lot of shuffling with the teams this week. Keaon Koloamatangi is back for the Rabbitohs after that ankle issue, which is good news for them. Latrell Mitchell still isn’t ready though—he’s dealing with a pinched nerve. Bayleigh Bentley-Hape is out too after a head knock.
Over at the Dragons, they’re really short on players. Jack De Belin, Hamish Stewart, and Hame Sele are all out with concussion, so rookie Jacob Halangahu gets his first start. That’s a big moment for him.
Canberra’s Craig Garvey is also on the injury list before their game. On a brighter note, Api Koroisau is back for Penrith, and Isaah Yeo has recovered from that shoulder problem.
There was a lot of player movement confirmed today across the NRL. The Broncos picked up Tom Duffy from the Cowboys on a one-year deal for 2026, which is interesting. Canberra locked in Simi Sasagi until 2028, and the Warriors kept Te Maire Martin around for another year too.
Over in Super League, Catalans signed Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui from the Gold Coast for a couple of seasons. The Tigers made sure Starford To’a isn’t going anywhere soon, keeping him through 2028. Penrith’s Brad Schneider, who won a premiership last year, is heading to the Dolphins in 2026. The Tigers also grabbed young Ethan Roberts from the Roosters on a development deal.
Manly extended Clayton Faulalo’s contract through 2027, and Newcastle confirmed Tyson Frizell will stick around for 2026. The Tigers were busy—they also re-signed Adam Doueihi for two more years. And the Bulldogs kept local forwards Bailey Hayward and Harry Hayes on multi-year deals.
The Roosters just managed to get past the Bulldogs over the weekend, which was a pretty tight game from what I heard. The Broncos also came out on top against the Dolphins, which didn’t really surprise anyone. There were a few other results too, like the Sharks beating the Dolphins 24–12, but those games happened a little earlier, so they weren’t part of the main weekend action.
There’s been a lot of movement in the NRLW over the past day or so. The Wests Tigers picked up Ruby Fifita, a front-rower from Tweed Seagulls, and she’ll be with them through 2025. They also signed Portia Bourke.
Over at the Gold Coast Titans, Jasmin Morrissey got a deal after really standing out at the national trials. St George Illawarra locked in a couple of their young players—Madi Mulhall and Indie Bostock, who scored on her debut, are both sticking around until 2027.
The Roosters kept Amber Hall for another year, and the Warriors extended Kaiyah Atai’s contract too. Parramatta made some big moves, re-signing their captain Abbi Church and Cassey Tohi-Hiku on long-term deals. Tess McWilliams is staying put as well.